Detailed record for Royal 17 F IV

Valerius Maximus, translated by Simon de Hesdin and Nicholas de Gonesse

Title

Facta et Dicta Memorabilia (Le livre de Valerius Maximus)

Origin

France, N. (Amiens or Hesdin), or Netherlands, S.

Date

3rd quarter of the 15th century

Language

French

Script

Gothic cursive

Artists

Rambures Master, a follower of Willem Vrelant

Decoration

9 miniatures in colours and gold with full or partial foliate borders and foliate initials in colours and gold, at the beginning of each book (ff. 3, 65v, 119, 152v, 181, 211, 232, 261, 297). Initials in gold on rose and blue grounds with penwork decoration in white, those at the beginning of chapters with foliate extensions. Line-fillers in blue and rose with penwork decoration in white.

Dimensions in mm

485 x 345 (315 x 215)

Official foliation

ff. 352 (+ 1 unfoliated modern paper flyleaf and 1 unfoliated medieval parchment flyleaf at the beginning and at the end).

Form

Parchment codex

Binding

Post-1600. Royal library binding of brown leather with the royal arms and gilt edges.

Provenance

Edward IV (b. 1442, d. 1483), king of England and lord of Ireland, perhaps acquired by him: added royal arms of England (f. 3).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): to be identified with 'Valere le grant' included in the list of books at Richmond Palace of 1535, no. 2; and in the catalogue of 1666, Royal Appendix 71, f. 11v.Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.

Notes

Includes the French translation of Facta et Dicta Memorabilia of Valerius Maximus begun for Charles V, king of France, in 1375 by Simon de Hesdin, and completed in 1401 by Nicholas de Gonnesse for Jacquemin Couram, treasurer of Jean, count of Berry; preceded by a list of contents (ff. 1-2). The frontispiece miniature (f. 3) was executed by a follower of Willem Vrelant, and other miniatures are by the Rambures Master (ff. 65, 119, 152v, 181, 211, 232, 261, 297), named after the Hours of Jacques de Rambures, Amiens, Bibliothèque Municipale 200 and active in Amiens or Hesdin. The manuscript is related to another copy of Valerius Maximus, Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 5196, illuminated by the same artists.Catchwords and bifolium signatures.